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Geometry Basics
Geometry Basics
Directed segments AB and CD have the same magnitude if the lengths of the segments
are equal, as in Figure 1.
Figure 1
If AB and CD are on parallel lines, (or are on the same line), they may have the same
direction, as in Figure 2a, or they may have opposite directions, as in Figure 2b.
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AB CD.
2. Angles and Triangles
The angle formed by segments BA and BC (or rays BA and BC) is denoted by ABC; the
point B is its vertex. If no other angle with vertex at B is under consideration, ABC may be
shortened to just B. Triangle ABC is denoted by )ABC.
Figure 4a
Figure 4b
The sum of the lengths of two sides of a triangle is always greater than the length of the
third side. For example, a + b > c in Figures 4a and 4b. Angles are measured either in degrees or
radians. The degree measure of a right angle is 90o and its radian measure is / 2. The sum of
the degree measures of the angles of a triangle is 180o and the sum of their radian measures is .
An angle of a triangle is acute, right, or obtuse depending on whether its degree measure is
respectively, less than , equal to, or greater than 90o. The notation A ' 30o means that the
degree measure of A is 30o and A ' B/ 6 means that the radian measure of A is B/ 6.
A triangle with one 90o angle is called a right triangle. The side opposite the right angle is
called the hypotenuse. In Figure 4b, C ' 90o and side c is the hypotenuse. The famous
Theorem of Pythagoras states that a triangle is a right triangle if and only if the square of the
length of one side equals the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides. (For
example, c2 = a2 + b2 in Figure 4b.) The main steps of a proof follow:
Let )ABC have a right angle at C. Place a square of side c externally on the hypothenuse
AB. Then place copies of )ABC on the other three sides of the square. All together, we now
have a big square whose sides have length a + b. See Figure 5.
Now we get
1
c 2 = ( a + b) 2 4 ab
2
c 2 = a 2 + 2ab + b 2 2ab
c2 = a 2 + b2
Figure 5
Calculator Example 1.2.1
When laying out the foundation of a new building, stakes are driven at the four corners.
Measuring the proper distances between the stakes is relatively easy, but measuring the angles
properly is much more difficult. After driving the stakes, the builder always measures the
diagonal distance to make sure it satisfies the Theorem of Pythagoras thereby insuring that the
angles are 90o. Suppose that the points A, B, and C in Figure 4b are three of the four corner
stakes of a rectangular foundation, a = 36 ft, and b = 40 ft. What must c be to insure C ' 90o?
Give your answer to the nearest 10th of an inch.
Solution: We will assume the calculator has already been set to Fix 1 display mode (see
Preface). We will let the calculator keep track of the units for us, so the first sequence is to get to
the appropriate units menu: RS UNITS F2-LENGTH. For each of the given lengths we will enter
the value, attach the units, then square it: 36 F5-ft LS x2 40 F5-ft LS x2. We now have the
squares of a and b on the stack. To find c we must add these, take the square root, then convert
the result to inches: + x LS F6-in. We see the answer 645.8_in on the display. For complete
instructions on the use of units see "Operations with Units" starting on page 3-17 of UG.
3. Similar Triangles
By definition, )ABC is similar to
)A'B'C' if A ' A', B ' B', and
C ' C'. See Figure 6.
Each of the following conditions
guarantees that )ABC is similar to
)A'B'C'.
Figure 6
(a) Two angles of one triangle are equal respectively to the corresponding two angles of the
other.
3
(b) Two sides of one triangle are proportional to the corresponding sides of the other triangle and
the included angles are equal.
(c) The three sides of one triangle are proportional to the corresponding sides of the other.
If we are given that )ABC is similar to )A'B'C ' then
A ' A', B ' B', C ' C', and
a
b
c
'
' .
a'
b'
c'
As stated in (a), (b), and (c), to prove that )ABC is similar to )A'B'C', it suffices to show that
a
b
'
and C ' C' or to show that
A ' A' and B ' B' or to show that
a'
b'
a
b
c
'
' .
a'
b'
c'
Calculator Example 1.3.1
Figure 7a
Figure 7b
Notice that since AB is parallel to CD, A ' C. (See Section 5 below.) Also,
AB
AE
'
. Using the tape
AEB ' CED, so )AEB is similar to )CED. We now have
CD
CE
measure you find that CE = 21 yd, CD = 67 yd, and AE = 113 yd. Now solve the previous
113 @ 67
. The sequence 113
proportion for AB and substitute the measurements, giving AB '
21
ENTER 67 21 on the calculator shows the distance to be a bit over 360 yards.
Figure 8
Thus h ' 3 and the three sides of this 30o, 60o, 90o triangle have lengths 1, 3, 2. If )EFG is
any triangle with E ' 30E, F ' 60E, and G ' 90E, then )EFG is similar to )BAM and
its sides e, f, g must be proportional to 1, 3, 2. We can write this as e : f : g ' 1 : 3 : 2. It
follows that the lengths of the sides of a 30o, 60o, 90o triangle can be written as e,
3 e, 2e.
Now let )ABC be an isosceles right triangle with C ' 90o, c as the hypotenuse and k
as the length of each of the other two sides. Then A ' 45o ' B and c2 = k2 + k2. It follows
that c ' 2k and thus the sides of a 45o, 45o, 90o triangle are of the form k, k,
2k.
Before computers, when drafting was done by hand, every draftsman had several of these
special triangles of various sizes in his tool box. See figure 9a where )TUV is a 30o, 60o, 90o
triangle and )WXY is a 45o, 45o, 90o triangle. With these, the draftsman could construct many
angles of various sizes. In figure 9b we see an example of how these two triangles and addition of
angles can be used to create a 75o angle, and in figure 9c we see an example of how one of the
triangles and subtraction is used to create an angle of 150o.
Figure 9a
Figure 9b
Figure 9c
Figure 11
2. Tell which of the following pairs of angles are possible in the same triangle and find the third
angle in each such case:
(a) 90o, 90o;
3. Find (i) the exact value and (ii) a two decimal approximation (See Preface) for v in each of the
following triangles:
4. Of the following triples, first identify those which represent sides of a triangle. Of those, select
the right triangles and identify them. Then pick out the 45o, 45o, 90o triangles and the 30o, 60o,
90o triangles:
(d) 8, 9, 11
(g) 1, 2,
(b) 2, 3, 11
(e) 3, 3, 3 2
(h) 3 3, 9, 6 3
(c) 5, 12, 13
(f) 1, 2, 5
(a)
5,
5, 10
b,
12. Complete the following table for converting certain degree measures to radians or, when
read properly, radians to degrees:
2 in degrees
0o
30o
2 in radians
B/6
45o
120o
B/3
B/2
150o
3B/4
180o
16. Use the methods depicted in Figure 9b and in Figure 9c in Section 4 above to show how to
construct the angles given below with 30o, 60o, 90o and 45o, 45o, 90o triangles.
(a) 105o;
(b) 15o;
(c) 225o;
(d) 135o;
(e) 195o.
17. Let C ' B/2 in )ABC. Let a, b, and c stand for the lengths of sides opposite A, B,
and C, respectively. Find:
(a) c when a = 5 and b = 12
(b) b when a = 8 and c = 17
(c) A when b ' 4 3 and c = 8
(d) B when b ' 5 2 and c = 10.
18. Given a unit length, outline the construction with straightedge and compass of lengths of
(a) 2/3
(b)
5.